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A senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Dr. Menges, 64, was one of the architects of Ronald Reagan’s effort to defeat the Soviet Union.

“Dr. Menges was a heroic figure in the Reagan White House,” former ambassador Faith Whittlesey said. Whittlesey served as the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and on the senior staff of the Reagan White House. “He played a major role in the White House, oftentimes behind the scenes, in helping Bill Casey, Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Bill Clarke not only devise the strategy that defeated the Soviets, but in implementing it.”

Dr. Menges had joined the Reagan administration at the urging of CIA Director William J. Casey and he served briefly at the agency as its National Intelligence Officer for Latin America.

In 1983 he left the CIA and joined the White House’s National Security Council to serve as special assistant to the president for National Security Affairs.

Among his many policy achievements, Dr. Menges may be best remembered for having been the key advocate and planner for the successful U.S. effort to liberate Grenada in 1983.

The successful military operation – sometimes referred to as the “Menges Plan” – liberated the island nation from a Castro-backed communist government. The Grenada liberation has been described as a major turning point in U.S. Cold War strategy.

During the 1980s Menges became a champion of implementing President Reagan’s anti-communist efforts in Latin America, including support for the “Contra” insurgency that threatened the Marxist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.

Dr. Menges helped form the Reagan administration’s policy of supporting indigenous democratic forces that could combat what he viewed as the Soviet’s “indirect aggression” against the West. The policy meant limited costs and no risk of U.S. casualties.

In his book “Inside the National Security Council: The True Story of the Making and Unmaking of Reagan’s Foreign Policy,” Dr. Menges argued that the National Security Council's main role was to offer the president the best, most impartial information for decision-making.

During the Reagan years, however, Dr. Menges revealed that the State Department often acted to thwart presidential directives and subvert the national security process. He complained that the failure of several senior Reagan aides to follow this process had led to the Iran-Contra scandal.

After leaving government, Dr. Menges continued his academic work on foreign policy and national security matters. He regularly briefed members of Congress and senior government officials on emerging threats.

In recent years, he warned of three major threats against the United States. These included:

# Growing pro-Castro alliance throughout Latin America. Dr. Menges warned that a foreign policy disaster of titanic proportions was festering in Latin America, as pro-Castro regimes had taken root in Venezuela, Brazil and other countries. He noted that more than 220 million Latinos had fallen into Castro’s orbit in the past few years due to U.S. foreign policy negligence.

# State-sponsored terror. A strong supporter of President Bush’s war on terror, Dr. Menges believed the U.S. was wise to focus upon state sponsors of terror, including Iraq. But from the earliest days of the U.S. effort to remove Saddam Hussein, Dr. Menges said that Iran would try to subvert U.S. efforts in southern Iraq. He suggested the Bush administration had not adequately prepared to deal with Iran’s subversion. He claimed the Iranians had already poured $1 billion into Iraq to support thousands of subversive agents.

# China’s superpower rise. Dr. Menges believed the U.S. should continue to engage China in trade and cultural matters, but believed the U.S. should put strict linkages between U.S. economic ties and demands for human rights. Dr. Menges saw China as an emerging superpower that could pose new dangers to the U.S. At the time of his death he was completing his latest book, “China, The Gathering Threat.”

Dr. Menges is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy, and his son, Christopher.

Iman - Thank you. I’m sorry I started the program in Farsi but I had to tell our audience that ah how fortunate we are to have you this morning here and gave a brief background of all the fantastic work you have done in the past and for the goals of democracy world wide in your career. And briefly mentioned your work about Iran. Ah Dr. Menges um I was going to ask you, before we get into specific questions, would you be kind enough to have some opening remarks with regards to your own analysis of Iran’s roll in today’s ah political environment and atmosphere especially with regard to Iraq, U.S. policies and how you see things going and then we can get into details.

eh with, my pleasure. I would want to tell your listeners I’m an immigrant like many of those in the Iranian exile movement who’s family apposed a terrible dictatorship this one in Nazi Germany and who my father was in the democratic opposition and then was arrested and was able to get out in time and so I came here as an immigrant and like so many of you in the Iranian exile movement I’m pleased that the United States of America gave my family refuge and the opportunity for freedom. And of course it’s the freedom of every human being that President Bush seeks also that the people of Iraq and the people of Iran can be free that they live ah normal lives without having a coercive brutal and repressive regime imposing on them.

I will have to translate as we go along if you don’t mind?
Iman translates

And I ah have been privileged to be able to work on behalf of human freedom and democracy in the United States in various roles including in the government, as I know you said, working for three Presidents um and I have been deeply concerned by the actions of the dictatorship in Iran since it came to power in 1979. Ah we know that the Iranian regime has is the most active state sponsor of terror in the world. That it is developing weapons of mass destruction. Taking hundreds of millions of dollars from the people of Iran in order to develop these terrible weapons. Chemical biological and nuclear weapons and we know that the Iranian regime has been brutal and repressive at home and has denied many, many people in Iran their rights. So there is. I begin looking at the dictatorship in Iran with a great deal of concern.

Iman translates

Perhaps your listeners are surprised if I talk about the dictatorship in Iran. Um I, because of course, it has permitted elections and there has been some degree of political competition and some degree of openness for those elections. However, as every citizen in Iran knows, the Supreme Leader actually controls the real power in Iran through his direct control over the secret police, the military, all the media, the appointment of the prayer leaders, and through the council of guardians and the expediency council which can both deny people the right to run for election and can veto legislation on it’s own. And these institutions of small numbers of people are controlled by the leader who in my view and according to the view of most individuals who are clerics in the clergy of the Shiite Islamic clergy is acting in a heretical way. Because under Shiite Islam the clergy is not supposed to rule directly and the Khomeini view of this is a heresy in Islam. But is a dictatorship with some process of elections attached to it.

Iman translates

And I eh, as to the international actions of the Iranian dictatorship, we must recall the fact that it is the Iranian dictatorship that in 1979 declared war against the United States calling it the great Satan. And saying the United States had to be destroyed. And the Untied States and its allies also in the region had to be destroyed. And we know that the Iranian dictatorship also began a great deal of terrorist secret terrorist warfare not only against the United States but also against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other countries. Which did not have Islamic regimes to its liking in the 1980’s.

Iman Translates

And as part of that secret warfare, through terrorism that the secret Iranian dictatorship has conducted it has killed an estimated 1,500 Americans. And until Sept. 11th 2001, more Americans have died at the hands of the Iranian dictatorship than from any other source of terrorism.

Iman Translates

And we should recall that it was the terrorist movement Hezbollah supported by Iran in which with headquarters in Syria occupied Lebanon that not only helped destroy Lebanon but also blew up the U.S. embassy in 1983 in Lebanon and some months later killed, in one night, 241 marines who were there on a peacekeeping mission. As a dramatic, and the Khobar Towers attack in the mid 90”s in Saudi Arabia is a further example of some of this secret warfare through terrorism that Iran has waged directly against the United States.

Iman Translates

As with many other aggressive dictatorships the paradox is that while the Iranian dictatorship is brittle and vulnerable at home because of the broad opposition and disaffection of the people after 25 years of repression, economic failure and um extreme control efforts of control. It is effective in international secret warfare aggressive secret warfare and has been for all the 25 years of its existence, as it uses terrorism to kill innocent men, women and children in other countries.

Iman translates

If we look at Afghanistan it is paradoxical that after the brave Afghan Muslim resistance movements were able to um force the Soviet Union to leave to withdraw its troops ah it is… it was Iran, the Iranian dictatorship, that incited ah and funded Gobadine Hecmachar and other pro-Iranian organizations to prevent what would have been the consolidation of moderate Islamic constitutional republic in 1989 - 90 since five of the seven armed resistance groups in Afghanistan wanted to establish that but it was stopped by Iran’s secret warfare which created chaos and disorganization in Afghanistan. Opening the way then to Pakistan’s creation of the Taliban as another form of ah Islamic fundamental dictatorship. That then took over.

Iman translates

The Afghan Taliban regime then gave ah facilities, training camps and facilities to the Al-Qaida Islamic extremist movement, which in many respects, I think, drew it inspiration from the extremism of the Iranian dictatorship. And that in turn lead to the expansion of terrorist attacks in the 1990’s and ultimately to the massive attack on the United States on September 11th 2001. And then the correct actions of President Bush in using military force to remove the Taliban regime in the fall of 2001

Iman translates

Once the Taliban regime had been removed ah the Iranian regime then immediately used secret warfare methods again, in infiltrating into Afghanistan again, many armed Afghans whom it had trained and funded and working with several individuals in Afghanistan to begin a campaign to prevent the stabilization of the new government. um and eh this these secret warfare activities in Afghanistan are a large part of the explanation of why things there are still unsettled and not yet stable in a constitutional and a smooth constitutional republic.

Iman translates

And that brings me to the current situation in Iraq. Ah where Iran has also positioned itself to wage a intense secret war against the people of Iraq who constitutional democracy and against the United States and all those who are trying to support them.

Iman translates

I want to make clear to the listeners in Iran that I understand that it was Iraq and the bathist dictatorship of Saddam Hussein that began the terrible war in 1980 against Iran intending in the expected confusion after the coming to power of Khomeini take some of the Iranian territory and oil fields. Iraq was responsible for beginning the war, which cost millions of lives in both countries most tragically.

Iman translates

And it was Iraq also, the Iraq secular dictatorship of Saddam Hussein that invaded Kuwait in the summer of 1990 occupied it and was exceptionally brutal toward the people of Kuwait until the United States lead a broad coalition which forced Iraq out of Kuwait and liberated Kuwait and um pushed the Iraqi forces out. And lead to a peace agreement under which Iraq was required to disarm and surrender all of its weapons of mass destruction and many categories of weapons.

Iman translates

A part of the brutality of Saddam Hussein and an important part was his persecution of the Shiite Islam his killing of tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims leading then additional hundreds of thousands fleeing to Iran ah to save their lives and to avoid terrible persecution that the Saddam Hussein dictatorship unleashed upon the Shiite Muslims of Iraq.

Iman translates

It was good that Iran gave the Shiite of Iraq refuge and let them come in and let them live peacefully and avoid the terrible persecution and brutality of Saddam Hussein.

Iman translates

And while a hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shiites were living in Iran’s territory, the Iranian dictatorship decided it would try to recruit some of them to become its allies in a future effort to bring about in Iraq a Shiite regime like that in Iran. That is the rule of the clergy, Shiite extremist regime, like that in Iran that would be pro-Iranian and closely linked to the current dictatorship in Iran.

Iman translates

The Iranian dictatorship did not want to have the Saddam Hussein dictatorship succeeded by a moderate constitutional democracy for fear of the example this would set for the people of Iran and the inspiration it would give them for them to liberate themselves also from the clerical dictatorship.

Iman translates

And therefore the Iranian dictatorship diverted large amounts of money, probably billions of dollars, from the oil revenues from the things that could help the people of Iran in order to accomplish it’s, it’s power objectives in Iraq. And prepared the five major components of it’s secret war in Iraq to take over that country and to oppose the United States and force the United States out of the Middle-East.

Iman translates

Before I describe these five I want to make clear that it is my judgment that the overwhelming majority of Shiite Muslim in Iraq, as in Iran, desire a moderate free constitutional government. They do not want to live under an extremist clerical dictatorship. And that his also true for the overwhelming majority of Iraqi exiles who were in Iran and who have now returned to Iraq. They want to have a moderate constitutional government and to live in peace with Iran and at peace with all their neighbors.

Iman translates

What we know from history and the history of many counties including the country where I come from, where I came from originally, Germany, that violent minorities can overwhelm the good intentions and hopes of the peaceful majorities in counties if the violent minorities are organized and ruthless and the peaceful majorities don’t get the help they need to defend themselves and to establish moderate constitutional institutions.

Iman translates

Now let’s come to the five major aspects of Iran’s secret war activities ah against freedom and democracy in Iraq and against the U.S. and its allies in Iraq. Um, first Iran established on its territory with Iraqi exiles during the 1990’s a political organization called the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. SCIRI the initials SCIRI the initials spell in brief and Iran has also secretly funded in large measure the DOWA political party, which is an Islamic fundamentalist political party ah that has eah from Iraq.

Iman translates

Once the liberation of Iraq from the Saddam Hussein dictatorship began in March 2003. Iran told the Iraqi exiles who were members of this political organization were told to return to Iraq and to begin organizing politically in each town trying to take over political authority town by town and prepare the way to either govern that way or to win elections. With, of course, secret large secret Iranian funds that would be given to them.

Iman translates

While all member of this Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq are not necessarily Iranian agents, the leadership is directed and controlled by Iran. And it views itself as allies of Iran. And when the senior leader, the Ayatollah Mohammad Saeed A Hakim was cooperative with the coalition provisional authority in the summer of 2003 he was killed on August 29, 2003 in two simultaneous suicide bombings which killed another 94 people and which I believe were the products of Iranian cover action and which an Iranian defector has also said came and from the actions of the Iranian dictatorship.

Iman translates

It is worth remembering that tragic murder of 95 people took place outside the very holy shrine of Imom Ali in Najaff, Iraq. And, um, I would also note that the bother of Ayatollah Hakim, who succeeded as the new leader if the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq has since been totally cooperative with the Iranian dictatorship. And totally carries out their purposes and wishes ever since. So that’s one component, the political component, is one of the five.

Iman translates

The second component of Iran’s secret war to take over Iraq is Moktada al-Sadr, who is the son of Ayatollah al Sadr. Who was a close ally of Khomeini and agreed with the Shiite clerisy should rule directly and who was tragically murdered by Saddam Hussein.

Iman translates

Moktada al-Sadr, in my judgment is responsible for the murder of Ayatollah al Quee who is a, was a very wonderful Shiite cleric who had been in exile from the Saddam Hussein dictatorship in England and returned to Iraq after the liberation in April of 2003.

Iman translates

The younger Ayatollah al Quee was the son of the former grand Ayatollah of Iraq who actually had been an opponent of Ayatollah Badra and of Khomeini and adhered to the traditional Shiite view that the clergy should be an important source of spiritual guidance in the society but should not rule societies directly. And it’s Moktada al-Sadr that who then killed the son of the opponent of his father who would have been an important source of leadership for a moderate clergy for traditional Shiite view of the roll of the clergy and for cooperation in the process of moving Iraq from dictatorship to modern constitutional democracy with respect for Islam and a special place for Islam.

Iman translates

Your listeners in Iran should know that the Iraq judicial officials have issued a warrant for the arrest of Moktada al-Sadr for the murder of Ayatollah al Quee and in April of 2003. It’s also important to remember that two days after the murder of Ayatollah al Quee it is supporters of Moktada al-Sadr who surrounded the home of the current Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Iraq. Surrounded the home and demanded that he leave Iraq immediately. An example of this war within the clergy that Iran is waging against the moderate the moderate majority of the Iraqi clergy trying to bring the violent minority to power through the activities of Moktada al-Sadr. Among other things that Iran is doing.

Iman translates

Your listeners may ask, “How do I know Moktada al-Sadr is working so closely with Iran”. The answer is that Moktada al-Sadr’s actions precisely carry out the purposes of Iran but more importantly he went on June 6th 2003 at the commemoration of the death of Khomeini to visit in Iran where he met with Ayatolla Hararei who is an Iraqi Shiite cleric who agrees with the Iranian dictatorship that the clergy should rule and who I believe is the Iranian dictatorship’s candidate to be the successor to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. He met with him but he also met with Ayatollah Rafsinjani and in Qume with Kasim Solomen Mani who is commander of the International Revolutionary Guard Corps Jerusalem forces responsible for Iran’s aggressive cover action.

Iman translates

The, at the time a year ago Moktada al-Sadr had about an estimated 300 Iranian military intelligence personnel supporting him and he was starting to recruit Iraqi young men. Now a year later he has an estimated six to ten thousand Iraqi armed young men who have been misled into his extreme ideology and who have been armed and funded, I believe and is my judgment I believe that the Iranian regime is part of its covert action in Iraq. Part of its efforts to intimidate the people of Iraq and also to intimidate the moderate majority of Iraqi Shiite clergy.

Iman translates

Now this brings us to the third component of Iran’s secret activities, as I see it, and that is the Shiite clergy in Iraq. Where in addition to the intimidation and coercive activities of Moktada al-Sadr. Iran is trying to use money and relationships with elements of the clergy to encourage them to take a position against the United States and against movement towards constitutional government and to bring them into its camp through positive means and incentives and um and seduction as it were and persuasion and money rewards and the likes. So there is a very active program with eah in an effort to win over for the Iranian clerical dictatorship the support of the majority of the clergy in Iraq.

Iman translates

I think this will fail because the Iraqi Shiite clergy knows the story of Iran. Knows what has happened in the twenty-five years of repression and poverty and failure in Iran. But the activity is very well financed and very active and it is… it may also fail because the violence and coercion of Moktada al-Sadr was so visible and so shocking right at the start that this may in fact have the opposite effect of that intended by the Iranian dictatorship.

Iman translates

However, as the people of Iran know very well the in a dictatorship people are cut off from information. One reason that this program and the work of Mr. Horovati and this effort and Radio Sedaye is so important to try to bring the people of Iran some alternative view and alternative information. But in a dictatorship, people are cut off from information as they were in Iraq for many years. Therefore the media and what is conveyed in the media becomes very, very important in times of political transition.

Iman translates

And that is why the forth component of Iran’s secret war against freedom in Iraq is… it’s massive investment with the Iranian’s people’s money in television and radio media aimed at the people of Iraq. It may surprise the people of Iran to know that right now about 60 radio and television stations can be heard in Iraq and of these about 43 are controlled by the Iranian dictatorship.

Iman translates

In contrast, the coalition provisional authority, the United States, is funding one television station, one radio station and two newspapers. And so the people of Iraq are getting 43 Iranian funded information and propaganda sources aimed at them on the one hand and their also having this very effective and very misleading propaganda instrument of Algizerea and Al Abrabia which essentially takes a line in favor of Islamic extremism and um and all of this is bombarding the people of Iraq and could well mislead many of them and lead many of them into a direction of not understanding what is really going on and lead them including members of the clergy to move in the direction that the Iranian dictatorship would like them, like to see them move.

Iman translates

As a sign of the Iran’s understanding the importance of the media, ah, it’s worth noting that in October 2003 when the coalition wanted to establish one television station, it didn’t do so for some months more. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Iranian supported political movement, protested and said it would stage massive street demonstrations to prevent any such media organization from being established. 1 against 43.

Iman translates

In fact the people of Iran might find the language used by the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq in late November of 2003 when they opposed the establishment of the media network by the coalition very familiar. The organization said, “If you do not change your programs and submit to our will, we will mobilize the Iraqi street against you.”

Iman translates
Now coming to the fifth method that Iran is using and we come to Hezbollah the extremely lethal effective terrorist organization that is mainly headquartered in Syria and occupied Lebanon and mainly funded and supported by the clerical dictatorship in Iran.

Iman translates

Beginning in the fall of 2003 there were press reports that Hezbollah Kaderum had moved into Iraq and were taking up residents all throughout the country and um one element one person from the U.S. Government said well Hezbollah is not doing anything hostile this must mean that the Iranian regime wants to be peaceful with respect to Iraq.

Iman translates

Now we know from the press reports that Hezbollah is there. There is reports of hundreds and perhaps several thousands Hezbollah Kaderum I don’t know how many its not possible to know that from the press. It is my judgment and now here I want to now help the listeners know that I’m moving from facts that are reported and can be verified to a judgment, a view of mine about what Hezbollah is doing. It is my judgment and I’ll wait for the translation for one moment.

Iman translates

It is my judgment and view that what Hezbollah has been doing and is doing is surveying the various targets for future terrorist attacks in Iraq that would include most likely U.S. Military bases, other coalition military bases, key Iraqi moderate democratic leaders, and their headquarters, political party headquarters, remember the destruction of the three Kurdish headquarters, political party headquarters some months ago. I would also suggest they are surveying civil administration places of the coalitional provisional authority and perhaps communication activities for example the Iraqi media network. All of these places, key places which I believe Hezbollah will seek to recruit Iraqi miss-guided young Iraqi terrorist to go and to conduct terrorist attacks in large scale beginning in July 2004 when the Iranian secret war offensive begins in a serious way in Iraq.

Iman translates

Recently a defector from the Iranian covert action organization said, and this report was carried by the BBC, and I cannot assure the listeners that this is a genuine defectors, the facts are correct, but I think what he said ties in with the facts that I know and with the judgment I have about the future, pattern of the Iranian dictatorship actions, this defectors said that Iran has spent more than one billion dollars in the last year alone in positioning it’s cover networks in Iraq and that this includes, by the way, buying and renting 2700 apartments and houses in which Iranian agents, weapons, terrorist, or assets and so forth are now living in perpetration for the time when this whole network will become activated. Which I believe will start in July 2004, after the turn over of political authority to the Iraqis.

Iman translates

In fact, this defector who was known as the name Hajeed saidie said that the killing of Ayatollah Muhammad akir ala kim the chairman of the council for the Islamic revolution in Iraq was, “one of the most important achievements of the Jerusalem force or the kuds corps. Who succeeded carrying out this mission in Iraq without any difficulty” this is what he said about that. Now, I offer a judgment and it’s speculative but it’s based on 25 years of observation of Iran, the Iranian dictatorship operations, aggressive dictatorship abroad, aggressive terrorism abroad. My judgment is that the eruption of violence by Moktada al-Sadr on April 4th was premature. That it was not part of a coordinated plan, that he acted impetuously and in a sense revealing the part of the Iranian hand inside Iraq by doing so. But that the main activities of the Iranian dictatorship will start when power has been, sovernty has been handed over to the Iraqi institutions which is due as you know to happen in about eight weeks on about July 1st 2004.

Iman translates

And my sense is that the way this… these Iranian supported networks will operate is that the political components will try to take evermore political authority in the civil institution in Iraq. They will do this through normal political means and building coalitions, they will do this through mass demonstrations and they will do this through the terrorist components using violence against their moderate opponents and intimidating them.

Iman translates

A small discussion about time left and when to take callers takes place.

And, the political part will of course be reinforced by the Iranian controlled media which will be backing the Iranian political organizations. And then at the same time the paramilitary groups, which now number about 40,000. The bader brigades attached to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. And then the paramilitaries attached to Moktada al-Sadr who are about six to ten thousand but they’re roughly 40,000. They will be begin attacking, I believe, the coalition forces as well as their political enemies. And at the same time I think Hezbollah and HAMMAS will have recruited the Iraqis for the devastating terrorist attacks on the leadership of the Iraqi political movements, the coalition forces, and all of this Iranian network that uses violence directly will be trying to kill, I believe, as many United States military and civilian personnel working in Iraq as possible. And so I see a time of escalating violence and political destabilization inside of Iran. June, July, August, September, and October intended both to coerce the United States out of Iraq and to defeat President Bush in his reelection effort. That both purposes would be served and then ultimately to bring about a pro-Iranian extremist regime in Iraq.

Iman translates

Iman – at this point I guess we want to talk some about the domestic issues inside Iran?

Yes.

Iman translates

All that of I’ve just described, of course, is very bad news. And is very disturbing. Obviously, for both the people of Iraq and it’s consequences will also be very bad for the people of Iran because it will solidify the dictatorship in Iran. By giving it more support and a greater sense of its own power and invincibility

Iman translates

However, the good news is that we have in recent history many examples of regimes that were very effective in aggressive terrorist operations abroad that were vulnerable at home vulnerable, unpopular and brittle at home as the Iranian dictatorship is. That in fact were overthrown by the peaceful actions of their own people who did, in fact, liberate themselves. And these examples include the communist states of Eastern Europe in the 1989-90. The former Soviet Union in 1991-92 and the communist ultranationalist dictatorship in Serbia. Which had been established in 1945 until the year 2000 and was also overthrown by the peaceful actions of its people. And all of these cases, the nightmare of the Iranian dictatorship that the people would rise up came to pass and the people were successful and freed themselves.

Iman translates

And the people of Iran who are listening to this know, full well, how unpopular the Iranian dictatorship is. The women of Iran know how many of their fellow women disagree with the way in which their equality has been undone by the clerical dictatorship. The young people of Iran, 70% of you are under the age of 30, know how many of your friends are totally opposed to the extreme degree of control and pressure that is required in daily behavior by the clerical dictatorship in Iran. People in daily life know that the economic failure of the clerical dictatorship in Iran and of the massive corruption of the dictatorship and the use of foundations and people in Iran know, all the adults in Iran know, about the billions of dollars every year that the clerical dictatorship diverts to its power objectives, its extremist objectives, its propaganda, its secret warfare and terrorist activities and its weapons of mass destruction activities. Taking this money away from the real needs, the social needs of the people of Iran.

Iman translates

It is my judgment that about 75% of the Iranian people in all social groups including the clergy, the military, the revolutionary guard corps, all oppose the hard-line dictatorship in Iran and want to see a moderate constitutional government with a place for Islam that is respectful and important but not ruled by the clergy.

Iman translates

Now you might ask how does a political analyst in the United States come to a judgment like that and my answer to you is, that in the election process since 1997 we have seen a proxy for the views of the Iranian people in the competition between the candidates who represented the hard-line view of the supreme leader and the somewhat more less hard-line view of President Khatimi. There was a difference and there is a difference between these two groups. And when given a choice to vote the Iranian people had no choice to vote across a broader spectrum because the candidates were not permitted by the council of guardians. But even within that narrow range of choice its worth noting that in the elections of 1997, 2000, 2001 that the people of Iran overwhelmingly voted against the hardliners. And if you look at voting patterns you will see this is true of all the regions of Iran and also among the Iranian military who I believe will stand away and will not act against the people of Iran, if they seek to liberate themselves peacefully, it is also true in the revolutionary guard corps. And I think this frightens the regime because they know how… this shows them how unpopular they are and how they are rejected by the people.

Iman translates

And I believe the summer of 2004 is the historical moment for the people of Iran to liberate themselves. Because they have the opportunity because they’re on both boarders there is a process under way of movement toward moderate constitutional government with respect for Islam in Afghanistan and Iraq. Because there is a President in the United States, George W. Bush, who has on many occasions spoken clearly about the fact that Iranian people have a right to live in freedom and that the United States seeks to encourage that and to encourage them to move toward freedom and because the Iranian dictatorship has not yet succeeded in undoing the opportunity of the Iraqi people for freedom and moderate government and reinforcing itself by having done that. It has not yet succeeded. Its about to launch its activities. And so, it’s really a race now between the worst of the Iranian dictatorship’s aggression through terrorism occurring during the summer of 2004. Or the people of Iran recognizing that this may be their last chances for many years to come to peacefully, in many cities at the same time move to end the rule of this dictatorship. And I think the opportunity is there and I think the Iranian people can do this.
Iman translates

And the people of Iran should also know that in exile there are hundreds of thousands of their county men and women who hope for their freedom and liberty and are willing to help them and in fact I think it’s very important for the people of Iran to know that all the Iranian individuals in exile who seek liberty and freedom for the people of Iran have worked very hard to try to organize themselves to give help to the people inside Iran when they try to liberate themselves. For example, the activities by the Alliance for Democracy in Iran, which is a new coalition of pro democracy movements of Iranian exiles. For example, the important work of this radio station and Mr. Morovati and the efforts, which of course, will be very helpful when a new free media is to be established in Iran. The work of the Iran of Tomorrow project in which skilled and talented people, Iranian Americans, have come together to plan ways in which to help a new independent government in Iran realize the wishes of its people to the extent the people of Iran want their help. And so there is a tremendous opportunity and tremendous resources available outside Iran to help the people inside Iran. But the choice is with the people of Iran. Only they can liberate themselves. They can do it. Many dictatorships of this type have fallen and fallen much more quickly than expected. And the time is now. This is the moment.
It was a pleasure to be with you today.
Iman translates

Iman - Dr. Constantine, would you be willing to take a few phone calls?

Yes, about 10 minutes.

Iman translates

Caller – in Farsi

Iman translates into English – This particular listener called from Tehran inside Iran. And his question after thanking you for your time and for your fantastic overview of what is going on in Iran. He was asking that, as you may know, less than maybe 30% of the Iranian people have access to satellite or can hear even these important sources of news such as Radio Sedaye and KRSI. He’s asking you, knowing that how do you think the Iranian people can hear this voice and these messages to know that they or that this is a good time to start doing this perhaps, he was suggesting that, some resources like Radio Farda U.S. government would actually provide some resources for media like KRSI to actually have a better access to the Iranian people that would be very helpful and he wanted to know your opinion on it and that.

I agree completely and I thank the listener for his call from Tehran and I agree completely that there needs to be more broadcasting into Iran and there needs to be more funding for this. And its very important for the Iranian people to hear the voice of freedom and to hear different points of view. And so I agree with that. The U.S. government does have some broadcasting to Iran. We have the new Radio Farda, the voice of America, and there is… I think… that should be expanded. The question of public funds for private broadcast is more complicates and requires legislation in a democratic country and that takes time. It is possible for the Iranian communities in exile who are extraordinary successful, intelligent and hard working and successful individuals, I think, to contribute more funds. And provide funding for and expansion of broadcasting which I think would be a good idea. Also I think there should be a campaign to have more Americans who are not Iranian Americans to also participate in the voice of free broadcasting to Iran. So I think there are… I think there are possibilities for doing so and perhaps it might be a good idea to have some public funds. Though, at times I think in the United States it is just as well to separate publicly funded activities from privately funded activities so that the privately funded activities can remain entirely independent in content and tone and that’s… that’s very important anytime something is publicly funded then its a bureaucracy and then there is public policy and there are certain considerations that are involved with that. So, I agree with you completely. The broadcasting should be expanded and I think this could be done with voluntary contributions from Iranian Americans and Iranians in other countries in exile but also from other Americans who should become more aware of the importance of doing this and I’ll try to write some articles about this and see if I can get them published encouraging American citizens from all backgrounds to contribute more to this.

Iman translates

Caller in Farsi –

Iman translates – Dr. Constantine the listener is from Los Angeles was asking – Now that the 911 commission is going on they’re all talking about who knew what and why they didn’t do something about that before 911 why is it and don’t you think its time the U.S. does something with all the research you have done, all the information you have provided so another 911 specifically all the details you mentioned will not occur again against the U.S. and against the goals of democracy in the region.

I hope so. I agree completely with you and I published about this and I have tried to brief people in the government and in fact I have called this Iran’s secret war of against the U.S in Iraq the next 911. Because unfortunately it seems to me that the well meaning very busy individuals in the U.S. government who are working with the immediate challenges they are facing and are very busy with that, have not had, it seems to me, and it’s is my judgment that they have not connected this patter of Iranian activities. I think it should have never been permitted for Moktada al-Sadr’s armed units, for example, to have grown from 300 people a year ago to nearly 10,000 today, and I think it was an over… a mistake, a misjudgment on the part of the coalitional provisional authority and the U.S. government so I agree with you completely and I’m concerned about whether the expression we use here, “connecting the dots” I’m concerned whether the dots are being connected.

And I believe the summer of 2004 is the historical moment for the people of Iran to liberate themselves.

I agree with Dr. Menges regarding the summer of 2004 is the historical moment for the people of Iran to liberate themselves. The True Iranian Military and Security forces should help the people of Iran to liberate themselves. The Military and Security forces that does not protect freedom of Iranian people and helping Ayatollahs are considered as traitors and they should not expect any good future after Regime Change. The Military and Security forces are paid by Iranian people to protect their freedom not to protect British Mullahs and if they stay passive, can not be forgiven. The Mullahs must be removed from power ASAP.

And so I agree with that. The U.S. government does have some broadcasting to Iran. We have the new Radio Farda, the voice of America, and there is… I think… that should be expanded. The question of public funds for private broadcast is more complicates and requires legislation in a democratic country and that takes time. It is possible for the Iranian communities in exile who are extraordinary successful, intelligent and hard working and successful individuals, I think, to contribute more funds. And provide funding for and expansion of broadcasting which I think would be a good idea. Also I think there should be a campaign to have more Americans who are not Iranian Americans to also participate in the voice of free broadcasting to Iran. So I think there are…

First of all the Iranian diaspora have been funding the satellite media broadcasts into Iran, the majority of which is already jammed. Bush recently approved millions of dollars for the Cuban opposition. They also took the Iranian opposition media model, and set it up for the Cuban opposition with studios and everything, they passed all the laws for Cuba to receive all of that, but not for Iran! US planes fly near Cuba daily to transmit the Cuban opposition media directly into Cuba. And Poland and the Eastern European countries which she mentioned earlier received vast amounts of monetary, logisitical and other types of help from the US, none of which the Iranian opposition is receiving now.

The Iranian opposition has not recevied much help. Many who gave up their jobs, their lives, everything have now run out of money and resources. Last year the vast street protests which had the potential for spreading to a full potential revolution were aborted dead in their tracks as the satellite media which was supplying critical logistical support and command was jammed and cutoff, and Powel publicly distanced the US from the protestors on the streets of Iran. Thousands were arrested ... and millions have become disillusioned since.

If the US was serious about helping the people in Iran, it would have given the Iranian opposition as much resources as it gave to the Eastern European countries in the '80s, and as much as its giving to the Cuban opposition now. Heck Iranian dissidents can barely even get political asylum in the US!

Ultimately, the US doesn't want a revolution in Iran because they don't want thousands of Al Queda, Hezbollah, Hamas or whateve' flying across the borders into Iraq fleeing a revolutionary Iran and destabilising Iraq! As bad as Iran's meddling in Iraq may be now, the US and the west is concerned that it will be far worst when tens of thousands of Islamist militia flee out of Iran and into Iraq and other regional countries potentially destabilising all of the Middle East. Ultimately the true priority and legacy of this adminsitration is Iraq not Iran. Its undersandable from a US perspective, and even the Bush legacy. However, in a year the Mullah$ will become nuclear, after which like North Korea, US will be offering them carrot$ and incentives to give up their nukes and have it all. As for human rights? Well if North Korea gives up its nukes like China it will be 'human rights?', 'What human rights'? And that is frankly what the Mullah$ are now looking forward to.

When this regime finally collapses, it will most likely be no thanks to the US, but plenty of thanks to the Iranian people and their heroic sacrifices!

But Spenta, there is not really any short and definitely no long-term success in Iraq as long as the Mullahs are in power. Folks at State Dept may think it wise to play the appeasement card for now, but this won't bring any long-term progress to Iraq and the region. If Regime in Iran is overthrown that would be good for War On Terror - and the concept of IslamoPsychos running across the border would be fine because we could easily target them and trap them with a coordinated plan between Iranian Freedom Fighters/Military and Iraq - IslamoFascists would be suffocated..

I don't see how Bush thinks he can get re-elected with not strong stability in Iraq and the Mullahs in Iran still pushing the levers and causing hell in Iraq!!_________________IRANIANS UNITEPERSIA LIVES ON!!FREE IRAN NOW!

On some levels even I have to agree, that as bad as things may be in Iraq right now, they could be far worst if tens of thousands of heavily armed Hezbollah, Hamaz, Iranian Baseej, Revoltuionary Guards and whatevers fleeing from Iran poured into Iraq. Right now they are dealing with hundreds of foreign fighters, but if Iran is destabilised they could potentially be dealing with tens of thousands of heavily armed desperate militia, desperate for a new country that is. This could destabilise the entire middle east, which is something not even the EU wants, actually nobody wants it. The point is it can be messy, which is why the west is still trying to find another way.

They just finished all the big round of talks for the year, G8, Nato Summit you name it, and then the whole thing ended without even a whimper over Iran, just more of the same usual games with the IAEA, and lots of talk (even from Stratfor) of possible negotiations with the Mullah$ from all sides, including the US. Now either this is the biggest poker bluff the Mullah$ have gotten yet, or its the bottom line. I can't tell you which one it is precisely, just what I think.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who testified at the hearing, concurred, but did not overemphasize Iran's role.

"I agree with you that Iran is important. I wouldn’t say it is the key to everything," he said.

And by the way, Wolfowitz's statement couldn't be MORE FULL OF ****!

Either US doesn't give a damn about getting rid of the Mullahs and supportig Iranian people and they're lieing about Iran being a big piece - OR they are playing a tough game of poker/bluffing to keep Mullahs in the dark until a certain moment..

either way, we can't depend on US Gov for support - remember what Ledeen said - we Iranians must act..!_________________IRANIANS UNITEPERSIA LIVES ON!!FREE IRAN NOW!

As I have repeatedly stated before, I really don't know what the facts are, and I don't wish to create the illusion that I somehow know the facts, because I don't. All I have are my observations, which I have been sharing recently, despite the usual objections and distractions.

Looks like there has been a 'serious' cooling off to Iran, which I have been mentioning for some time now. Meanwhile you have all these people planning on laying all their eggs in the Bush basket, which may no longer have room for Iran eggs. Not good IMO. I believe that RP is right, we have to rely on ourselves. If people in Iran realised, this is it, there is no help coming, no magical Bush miracle, this is their chance to take their fate and destiny into their own hands (instead of sitting around waiting for a Bush miracle, or Bush sign) then the Mullah$ would be finished in a matter of months!